With a 4.30am start, I was barely awake as the coffee wafted through my kitchen. If you have ever worked in a startup then you will be familiar with the question of whether it is very early morning or very late at night. The coffee aroma sparks the neurons and I have 20 mins to spare to get Zoom ready for a graduation with a difference.
Today, Wych and I graduate from Newchip’s Global Pre-Seed Stage Accelerator Program which has set us up for future success.
Even though I was a little bleary-eyed, and in desperate need of a coffee refill, I was extremely proud of the accomplishment. The NewChip curriculum calls it an executive MBA condensed into a six-month program and I made it, we made it.
I completed the course virtually, and I found it was a good mix of interactive learning, one on one sessions and individual assignments. I found the mentor relationship extremely beneficial as I had fortnightly, one-on-ones with an experienced entrepreneur. To say I milked every second out of those chats is an understatement.
There was a moment of doubt when I didn't think I could do it, or to put it better, I didn't think Wych was ready but NewChip held a monthly mastermind session which put me in the right headspace and connected me to other founders experiencing similar pressures and challenges, I didn’t feel alone in the journey.
I often find myself thinking that life is what you make it, cheesy I know, but it’s exactly how I responded to this program. Once I overcame my initial hesitations I jumped in to absorb and learn everything I could. If the opportunity to get in front of investors were to present itself, I was equipped with the tools I needed to have those conversations. During the six-month period, I was able to connect with over 600 investors.
So as I sit here with my cohort from around the globe, feeling proud of the accolade and knowing Wych has progressed further and faster than I previously knew how, and I am smiling from ear to ear.